Russian Pelmeni – Siberian Meat Dumplings

About This Recipe

Pelmeni are Russia's answer to ravioli — small, tightly sealed pasta dumplings filled with a seasoned mix of minced pork and beef, boiled in salted water and served with butter, sour cream, mustard or vinegar. They are the definitive Russian comfort food: filling, cheap, infinitely freezeable, and deeply associated with family gatherings where everyone sits around the table making them together — a Russian tradition as important as the dumplings themselves. Originally from Siberia and the Ural region, pelmeni were the food of hunters and fur trappers who would make enormous batches in winter, leave them outside to freeze, and carry them as portable rations — essentially Russia's original frozen food. The filling is characteristically simple — raw minced meat with onion and pepper — and the wrapping technique is precise, with the edges sealed so tightly that not a drop of juice escapes during boiling. Making pelmeni from scratch is a labour of love, but the results are incomparably better than shop-bought. The thin, silky dough (made without eggs in the Siberian tradition, or with eggs for a richer version) should be rolled paper-thin, the filling should be cold and well-seasoned, and the finished dumplings must be served immediately — they toughen as they cool.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gplain flour(plus extra for dusting)
• 180 mlcold water
• 1 tspsalt
• 250 gminced pork
• 250 gminced beef
• 1large onion(finely grated)
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspcold water(for the filling)
• butter and sour cream(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour and salt. Add cold water gradually, mixing until a firm, smooth dough forms. Knead 5–8 minutes until silky. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix minced pork, beef, grated onion (with its juices), salt, pepper and cold water until well combined. The filling should be loose enough to be juicy — add more water if needed. Keep refrigerated.

   Cold filling is easier to portion and stays inside the wrapper during forming.

3. 3

   Shape the pelmeni

   Roll dough to 2mm thickness. Cut circles with a 7cm cutter. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre. Fold into a semicircle, seal edges tightly, then bring the two corners together and press to form the classic pelmeni shape.

4. 4

   Boil and serve

   Cook in plenty of salted boiling water for 6–8 minutes until they float and are cooked through. Serve immediately with butter, sour cream and mustard.

Variations

• •

  Siberian pelmeni: smaller, thinner, often all-beef or with wild game

• •

  Fried pelmeni (zharennye pelmeni): pan-fry boiled pelmeni in butter until golden

• •

  Pelmeni in broth: serve in a clear beef broth instead of just boiled water

Storage

Freeze uncooked for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen — add 2 minutes to boiling time.

Frequently Asked Questions